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Kirti Azad rubbishes Bhagalpur riots charges against father
Kirti Azad said, “Those who are making such allegations are doing so out of ignorance. My father had vacated the chief minister’s post in March 1989, while the riots took place towards the end of the year, when SN Sinha was the CM. My father was in Delhi and he had, in fact, rushed to Bhagalpur to extend his help.”
Former India cricketer and Congress candidate from Dhanbad, Kirti Azad on Thursday rubbished allegations by a section of the minority community in the coal city that his father, former Bihar chief minister Bhagwat Jha Azad, had a role in the Bhagalpur riots of 1989.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters here on his first visit to Jharkhand after being named party candidate, Azad said, “Those who are making such allegations are doing so out of ignorance. My father had vacated the chief minister’s post in March 1989, while the riots took place towards the end of the year, when SN Sinha was the CM. My father was in Delhi and he had, in fact, rushed to Bhagalpur to extend his help.”
A section of the Muslim community, under the banner of Dhanbad Minority Society, had earlier this week criticised the possible candidature of Kirti Azad, referring to his family lineage and “role of former Bihar CM” in the Bhagalpur riots.
Azad, who left for Bokaro after the press conference in Ranchi to prepare for the election campaign, however, clarified that while several people were named in subsequent FIRs related to the case, there was none against his father.
The player-turned-politician was suspended by BJP in 2015 and joined the Congress party last year. He has represented the Darbhanga Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket thrice since 2004. Earlier, he had represented the Gol Market assembly seat in Delhi assembly.
Countering the ‘outsider’ tag put on him for his candidature from Dhanbad, Azad said, “I was born in Godda district. I also have had a long association with Bokaro, as I worked for Bokaro Steel Limited during 1982-1993. I was a member of the World Cup-winning team in 1983 when I was associated with BSL. So, it’s like getting back to the roots.”
Azad also hit out at the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of having failed to keep even a single promise made during the 2014 general elections
